The gift of our education is self-confidence. Where are they getting this self-confidence from? It is because they know Swami is with them; that is the source of their self-confidence. If you have that confidence, then wherever you go, you can live confidently. Whatever difficulties come, you will be able to live peacefully. Children should develop this confidence. And where should this confidence come from? From God. That God is with us. Therefore, we can be confident, come what may, God is always there. All the time, everywhere God exists. Therefore, if you depend on God more than anything else, we will never be disappointed. That confidence which comes out of this faith that God is with us is truly self-confidence. If children develop this confidence at this age, they will be able to do anything in life. That is the gift of education in our institution.

I have travelled to so many countries. There I find that young children have no self-confidence. At the slightest sign of failure, they are unable to handle, and they get into depression, some of them commit suicide. Today the biggest problem that the people of the world are facing especially the youngsters is depression. The thought that ‘I am useless, I can’t face the world, I would rather die,’ these kind of negative feelings are in them because they have everything but they do not have faith. In life you will always face ups and downs whether it is a king or a poor person. It is not possible to escape this duality of life. Our source of self-confidence is knowing that Swami is with us. Whatever happens, Swami is always with us, He will watch over us, He will take care of us. That feeling we should have.

As much faith you have, that much will be your experience. Develop faith that Swami is with us and you will experience Swami’s presence in some form. I know that children are experiencing because they believe that Swami is there, and Swami is with us all the time. That faith makes so many little children experience the presence of Swami in some way or the other. Once they get these experiences then their faith becomes stronger. When they face big difficulties in life, they will continue to have the faith. For grown-ups, even when a big difficulty comes, they remember that Swami showered His grace when we were young and so also, He is with us even today. That feeling will always be with them. So that feeling we should hold on to strongly. Develop such unwavering faith in Swami’s presence in your life and you will experience His presence, His grace at every step. If this subject of Bhakti you have understood, all other things in life will be taken care of. This is the most important lesson to be learnt in our institution.